RE: THE SIMPLE WAYS OF GOD: FINANCES: Part 2 – TAX DEDUCTIONS - A Book From @narrowminded Released EXCLUSIVELY on STEEMIT
Great stuff (as usual)! If John the Baptist had the 1st Amendment, he'd still have his head! Your quote from Matthew 6 is my favorite part of the Bible, from there all the way to the Lord's Prayer...great advice (also about "When ye pray...") There's also another passage that tells us- whatever you give ye shall receive tenfold (or something like that- I'm probably the worst Biblical scholar). You notice in Matthew when Jesus says to do your "alms" in secret, he's not saying give to the church, I think, but to help one another on a personal basis. One reason that Jesus came to us is because "the church" had failed to meet its obligation and begun to emulate the political structure of Rome. I wrote a piece on this: The Failure of Institutional Remedies: The Philosophy of Jesus Christ.
I think in the New Testament, the "alms" were for "the church", but the church was not a building or paid clergy, "the church" was the believers who had needs. My how things have changed.
I agree...One definition for church I found is...a group of people who share similar beliefs. Maybe somebody should share that passage with Joel Osteen!
LOL!
I probably shouldn't be judgemental, but I wouldn't want to be standing next to him in a lightning storm!
Nothing wrong with being wise!
It's hard to see a group - church - build a $25 million building - like that is a good use of $ when they should be out investing that money into people. Things have changed.
I consider that to be storing up treasures upon the earth, when they should be laying up treasures in heaven.